Snow melter and vaporizer



June 3, 1952 1 J, FLYNN 2,599,098

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SNOW MELTER AND VAPORIZER 1N VEN T 0R.

'Il fon/Afm J f2 y/v/v BY Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SNOW MELTER AND VAPORIZER Leonard J. Flynn, Salina, Kans.

Application July 29, 1949, Serial No. 107,503

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improved power-operated snow-removalapparatus, and more particularly to novel combined snow-plowing andvaporizing apparatus adapted to clear paths along snow and/orice-covered highways, railway tracks and the like, and throughsnowdrifts, by taking up the snow and ice and turning the same intovapor and discharging the vapor into the air.

The primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus of theabove-indicated character which eliminates some of the more seriousdrawbacks of present snow-removal apparatus, such as depositing theplowed snow in banks along one or both sides of the path cleared, and inthe case of apparatus involving melting of the snow, discharging themelted snow onto the ground. resulting in the formation of ice upon theground.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of asnow-removal vehicle of improved and simplified construction and greaterease and economy of operation, which can be made in a rugged andserviceable form at relatively low cost.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings,wherein, for present purposes of illustration only, a specic embodimentof the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, with portions thereof broken away to showinternal structure;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2--2 of Figure1, showing the scoop in depressed operating position;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectiontaken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated apparatus comprisesa longitudinallyelongated motor vehicle chassis including a rear part |5and a forepart I6. The rear part I5 includes drive wheels Il supportingthe same upon the ground I 8, a relatively large, rectangular burnerfuel tank I9, at the rear, a drivers cab 20 in front of the tank I9, anda motor and pump compartment 2| in front of the cab 20, depressed belowthe window level of the cab.

The compartment 2| encloses a conventional engine 22 connected in asuitable manner (not shown) to the drive wheels with a compressed (Cl.12S-343.5)

air tank 23 at one side of the engine, and an air compressor 24 at theother side of the engine, including an electric driving motor 25 orother suitable driving connection with the engine 22. The cooling fan 26of the engine 22 operates behind a screened radiator 21 in the front ofthe compartment 2 I.

A burner fuel supply pipe 2B leads forwardly along the right-hand sideof the chassis from the tank I9 to the right-hand end of a header 29extending horizontally across the lower part of the compartment 2 I, andhas a plurality of burners consisting of jet nozzles 30 projectingforwardly therefrom at regularly-spaced intervals, the left-hand end ofthe header being closed.

Another header 3| having closed ends and positioned behind and below theheader 29 has projecting forwardly therefrom compressed air ducts 32connected as shown in Figure 5 with the lower parts of related ones ofthe burner jet nozzles 30. The forward ends of the nozzles 30 beyond thepoint of connection of the ducts 32 are tapered to relatively smallorices 33. The output line 34 of the pump or compressor 24 is connectedto the compressed air tank 23 and the tank 23 is connected to the header3| at a point intermediate its ends. Suitable means (not shown) may beprovided for controlling the pressure and flow of compressed air toheader 3| and hence to the burners 30, and the supply of liquid fuel,such as gasoline from the tank I9 to the burners. With fuel supplied tothe burners 30 along with air under pressure and the resulting mixtureof air and fuel ignited, flaming jets are projected forwardly from theburners.

The forepart I6 of the vehicle chassis comprises a rectangular,longitudinally-elongated snow and ice-melting hopper 35 havingparallellyspaced side walls 36, 36 extending forwardly from the frontwall 31 of the compartment 2|, the hopper being open at its forward end.An abbreviated horizontal fire wall 38 extends across the lower part ofthe hopper 35 from the front wa1l3'| of the compartment 2 I, this firewall being spaced upwardly from the generally horizontal bottom 39 ofthe hopper and extending between the side walls 36, 3B. Arearwardly-declining bottom portion 40 reaches rearwardly from the openforward end of the hopper to the forward end of the bottom 39.

The hopper bottom 39 forms the top wall of the hot box 4| extendingalong and beneath the bottom 39 from end to end and side to side andhaving transverse channel braces or reinforcements 42 on its bottom 43,the braces acting as spacers and supports for a liqueed snow andicevaporizing coil 44. The vaporizing coil 44 comprises a continuouspipe comprising longitudinally-arranged convolutions 45 uniformlylaterally spaced between the sides of the hot box 4I below the level ofthe burner jet nozzles 3U and in line therewith, as shown in Figures 1and 2. The burners 30 project forwardly through the back wall 46 of thehot box and forwardly through a transverse partition 41 into theinterior of the hot box to the rear ends of the convolutions 45.

A screened water intake 48 is positioned through the hopper bottom 39,as in the left rear corner, as shown in Figure 1, and. connects with theadjacent end of the vaporizing coil 44, the other end thereof beingdirected forwardly through the front wall 49, as shown in Figure 2. Ahorizontal exhaust header 58 extends transversely beneath the declininghopper bottom portion 4l] and has one end thereof opening through thehot box front wall 49 intermediate its ends at U. An extension 5I on thesaid other end of the vaporizing coil 44 connects with the header 50intermediate its ends, and the laterally-outwardly-projecting other endof the header 50 is supportedly connected to the lower end of a verticalexhaust pipe 52.

Hinged at 54 on a chassis cross-member 55 located at the elevatedforward end of the declining hopper bottom portion 4i) is the rear end55 of the bottom 51 of the snow and ice scoop 58. The scoop bottom 51has a substantially plane rearward portion 59 merging into a forwardlyand upwardly-curved forward portion 6i).

The under side of the scoop bottom 51 has depending, laterally-spacedrunners El which have angulated straight forward portions 62 arranged torun on the ground i8, as shown in Figure 2, in the depressed operatingposition of the scoop.

As shown in Figure l, the scoop bottom has parallel side edge portionsS3, 63 positioned between the parallel hopper side walls 36, 35 at theforward end of the hopper 33; and forwardlyflaring side edge portions54, 64 whereby the straight forward edge 65 of the scoop issubstantially wider than the hopper 35. The Iorward portions of therunners 6l are flared with respect to each other like the forward partof the scoop, as indicated at. B6 in Figure 1. The scoop 58 has sidewalls 61, 61 on the side edges which have vertically-curved rear ends 68merging into straight upper edge portions Si) which align with the upperedges of the hopper side walls 36, 35 in the depressed position of thescoop. Forward edge portions on the scoop side walls curve downwardly at1i and then forwardly at 12 to the forward edge B5 of the scoop bottom.

Means for elevating and depressing the scoop 53 comprises one or morehydraulic jacks 13 pivoted at one end at 14 on a chassis element 15beneath the cross-member 55 and connected at its opposite end at 16 to arunner 5I on the hopper bottom. A hydraulic conduit 11 leads rearwardlyfrom the jack 13 to suitable means (not shown) for operating the jackfrom the cab 25. The chassis forepart l5 is supported on an axlestructure 1B including steerable wheels 19.

It will appear from the foregoing that with the scoop 58 depressed, withthe vehicle in forward motion, and with the burners in operation, snowand ice will be elevated from. the ground I8 along the scoop and subsideintothe hopper along the declining bottom portion onto the hot box top3S constituting the hopper bottom. The hot box being sumciently hot, thesnow and/or ice will be quickly melted and the resulting water will flowthrough the drain or intake 48 into the vaporizing coil 44 and beimmediately vaporized. The expansion of the vapor causes the same tomove upwardly in the exhaust pipe 52 and discharge into the outside airthrough its upper open end. The expansion of the hot mixture of air andproducts of combustion and the forward movement thereof in the hot boxby the jetting of the burner nozzles causes this hot mixture to pass outof the not box into the exhaust header and into the exhaust pipe 52,thereby increasing and accelerating the drawing off of water vapor fromthe vaporizing coil 44 and the discharge from the upper end of theexhaust pipe 52. of both the vapor and the products of combustion.

Screened cooi air intakes having forwardlyfacingV bells 8| located atopposite sides of the hot box 4l have conduits B2 opening through theside walls of the hot box at the rear end thereof to supply outside airto aid combustion within thev hot box and to aid in the discharge ofproducts ofcombustion from the hot box through the exhaust pipe 52'.

A fire wall 53 covers the lower face of the bottomV portion 40- andextends across the outer faces of the' ends, sides and bottom of the hotbox 4|.

I claim:

1. A snow melter and vaporizer comprising an upstanding hopper forreceiving snow to be melted, a closed hot bex underlying anddependingly'supportedfrom the lower end of said hopper, a plurality ofburners extending through and supported in an end wall of said box andeach having one end in communication with the interior of said box, aseparate source of liquid fuel and ofair under pressure connected to theother ends of saidY burners, a horizontally disposed vaporizing coilpositioned within said box and exposed to the flames from said burners,means on one end of said coil and in communication with the bottom ofsaid hopper for receiving the water as the snow is melted, an opstandingexhaust pipe exteriorly of said hopper and having one end connected tothe other end of said vaporizing coil for conveying and dischargingwater vapor from said coil, the upper end of said exhaust pipe being incommunication with the atmosphere, and conduit means leading from theinterior of said iireboxV and to said exhaust pipe for conveying theproducts of combustion emitted from` said burners into said exhaustpipe.

2. A snow melter and vaporizer comprising an upstanding hopper forreceiving snow to be melted, a closed hot box underlying and dependinglysupported from the lower end of said hopper, a plurality of jet burnersextending through and supported in an end wall of said box and each.having the jet end in communication with the interior of said box, aseparate source of liquid fuel and of. air under pressure connected tothe other ends of said burners, a horizontally disposed vaporizing coilYpositioned within said box and exposed to the flames emitted from saidjet ends of said burners, a screened intake supported and incommunication with the bottom of said hopper and connected to one end ofsaid coil for receiving the water as the snow is melted, an upstandingexhaust pipe exteriorly of said hopper, conduit means connecting theother end of said coil to said exhaust pipe, the upper end of saidexhaust, pipe being in communication with the atmosphere, and furtherconduit means LEONARD J. FLYNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Cruise Sept. 4, 1906 Strauss Nov.1, 1910 Mann Nov. 8, 1910 Dzamba. Oct. 28, 1930 Chase Sept. 1, 1931Powell Dec. 5, 1944

